


King of Night and Nightmares

by Pearls1975



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Suggestion of Rape, mention of rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-11 22:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17455748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearls1975/pseuds/Pearls1975
Summary: You die and find yourself having tea with an eleven-year-old girl who seems normal but hides a very dark secret.





	King of Night and Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> There is a mild suggestion of rape in this short story.

The breath was knocked out of my lungs so fast they burned. At least, I think they burned…I felt numb. No, not even numb. I felt nothing, and everything was black. I felt like I was falling and grounded at the same time; like I was being pulled apart and imploding all at once.

These feelings stopped abruptly when I drew my next breath. It was hot and suffocating, and I tried to cough, but I couldn't move my mouth or my hand to cover my mouth. When I tried to scream to let out my frustration, it seemed to be absorbed by the nothingness that surrounded me.

My life suddenly played before me in reverse – from the last thing I remember – which was drowning just off the docks of my best friend's cabin because my friends and I thought it would be cool to 'borrow' my best friends fathers boat and go for a little night sailing.

While we were higher than kites.

No one said we were the brightest crayons in the box.

I was only seventeen, so my life was barely a blip, but there were some highlights – graduating early from high school when no one thought I would make it past my freshman year. (A life of drugs and sex and rock and roll was not conducive to a high-schoolers productive career.) Losing my virginity, of course. Kissing boys and kissing girls. I really liked both, they each had their own different perks. My dog and cat, a snail in eighth grade. Violin lessons in fourth. And finally, my cute little baby face, red from crying.

Then silence again.

"Room 29."

The voice hurt. I wasn't sure how long I lingered in the silence and darkness, but the voice snapped me together again.

"Place them in room 29," the voice continued. "She's been requested there."

"But sir," a different voice, less masculine this one. "How is that possible? No one has been able to request a soul in years!"

A beat of silence.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," the first voice was stern. "Please take the new soul to Room 29 and then you may take the rest of the day off."

I would have laughed, except, I lacked the capacity.

"Yes, sir,"

Wait, new soul?

So, I was dead?

Sigh.

Figures.

"Room 29," I could hear the second voice saying, although, it sounded far away. I also felt like I was being jostled around. Again, not sure how, since I was just…fluff, I guess? "Ah, here it is, your home for a while, Rabbit."

Um…what?

How did this person know my nickname?

I'm so confused.

The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a brightly lit room. It hurts my eyes. Everything hurts right now. But, I feel a little more substantial than I did a few minutes ago. Or, was that hours? Heck, it could have been years for all I know. I take a deep breath and feel my lungs fill with fresh air. I'm sitting on a small bed, with pink unicorn sheets and sunshine filling the room. It smells like sugar cookies. I look down at myself. What I'm wearing is definitely not what I remember leaving the house in. At least it's nondescript and comfortable. Black leggings with a black sweatshirt. I suppose I would be warm, but I really can't feel any temperature.

The door to the room opens and a girl, maybe about ten or eleven, comes running into the room, crying. She's heading straight for the bed, and I move just before she jumps.

"And stay in your room until you can stop crying!" A loud female voice could be heard, and I barely made out a tanned forearm with the shirt sleeves rolled up, slamming the girl's door. The pictures on the wall rattled, and the frame on her nightstand falls over.

Because this all feels so familiar, I search my memories trying to recall my own life, only to come up short. It's like my mind has been erased. I want to panic; but somehow, the thought of possibly starting over excites me. But first, I need to figure out why I'm in this little girl's room.

I walk over to the door and try to open it, but my hand flies right through the knob. I let out a yelp and somehow fall against the door. Frustrated, I rub my forehead and look over to see the girl staring at me, or at least in my general direction. She sniffs, wipes her eyes, and sits up on the bed, searching for whatever it was that made the noise. Letting out a long breath, she reaches under her pillow for a black journal, an item that seems out of place in her world of pinks and pastels. As I look around carefully at her room, I see other hints of black – black shoes under her bed, a few items in her closet, a black cat statue next to the fallen frame on her nightstand, the bracelet on her tiny left wrist, which is furiously writing in the journal.

'Huh,' I think to myself. 'She's a leftie, like me.'

I decide to walk over to the frame and try to fix it. Holding my breath, I somehow grasp it and place it upright. From inside the picture frame, a handsome man with dark hair smiles.

"Wh-Who are you?" The girl's voice scares me, and I almost knock the frame over again. I readjust it as the girl stares at me with big brown eyes.

"I-I…my name is Sam," I stutter. "What is your name?"

The little girl frowns. "Avery. Where did you come from?"

"I-…um…" Before I finish my sentence, a knock at the little girl's door interrupts us, and a woman is standing in the doorway.

"Avery, honey, who are you talking to in here?" She walks into the room and sits down on the bed, brushing the little girls light brown hair back from her coffee brown eyes. I don't miss it when Avery flinches away from her mother's touch.

"Um, no one, mom," she glances in my direction, but her eyes tell me she can't see me anymore.

I try to focus on what they are saying, but my gaze keeps wandering around the room. Avery has posters of the latest girl bands, posters of Anime characters, and unicorns, lots and lots of unicorns. The one that catches my eye is one that's hanging above the head of her bed. It's the tapestry that inspired the book 'The Last Unicorn,' and I'll bet that's her favorite movie as well.

I scratch my head, trying to figure out how I can recall that bit of trivia, but none of my own memories resurface.

I blink, and suddenly it's nighttime. Avery is tucked away and sleeping, albeit not so soundly.

"Sam," The gentleman that escorted me to the room, is standing in the closet doorway. "Follow me, and I will show you to your own room."

"I…have my own room?" I ask as I tug on the sweatshirt nervously.

"Of course. Is there something wrong with your shirt?" The Gentleman asks.

"N-No of course not," I stop tugging and walk over to him. "It's really comfortable."

"Good, now follow me," he gestures for me to follow as he turns and walks into the closet.

"But…" I start as I follow him. Instead of the back of the closet, there is a long hallway with plain white walls. I shake my head and trot up alongside the man. "Where did this hallway come from?"

"Oh, it's always been here. We haven't walked down this section in quite a long time, however," Stephen says as he looks down at the clipboard.

"Oh, okay…but who are 'we'?" I ask. I have a tough time keeping up with his long strides. I'm tall for a teenager – 5'9" to be exact, and this guy is giving me a run for my money, literally and figuratively.

"We are Imaginary Friends Inc.," He shows me the badge at the end of his lanyard that has the name written in white on a black background. I also see his name on the tag. "We supply imaginary friends to the kids that need them the most."

"Is that your name, Stephen?" I ask as I gesture to his lanyard.

"Yes, and I will be your assistant for as long as you are here, Rabbit."

I flinch at my nickname. I wish I could remember why that is my nickname.

"As long as I am here…how long am I staying?"

"Well, you died at such a youthful age, you could be here forever if you wanted," Stephen explains.

"If I wanted?" I gape at him.

"Yes, you have the option to move on when you are ready," he smiles over at me. Stephen has a pleasant smile and could be handsome in a quirky way, but not my type. I have the feeling I'm not his type either.

"Move…on? As in Heaven or Hell?" I ask.

"That or whatever you believe," Stephen stops in front of a dark wood door. "This is you."

"Room 42," I chuckle at the irony. "What if I don't believe in anything?"

"Then you can stay here," Stephen glances at the clipboard and checks something off. "We have more and more staying here every day."

"Huh," As I turn to thank Stephen, I find I am standing inside the room. It's bare, with white walls and no pictures. The bed is covered with a fluffy white duvet, and there is a nightstand with a lamp that throws a warm glow over the room. A chair in the corner and a closet on the far wall complete the room. Not even a window; although I wonder what I would look out onto. Probably the vast nothingness of the Universe.

Before I let my mind wander down that huge rabbit hole, I sit down on the bed and let out a sigh, thinking about what Stephen told me. This isn't the worst place to be, so far. I decided to give it a few more days before I make any decisions about moving on.

The next week flies by with the same routine: I'm woken by Stephen who gives me forty-five minutes to shower, dress and eat breakfast. He leads me down the hall to Avery's closet, and I step out into the sunshine and sugar cookies. Avery is usually at school, so I wander around her room to figure out this girl who seems to need an invisible friend.

Actually, I spent the first hour of the first day, trying to get a hold of the doorknob, but my hand would fly through it every time. That's when I decided I would snoop around her room.

Avery is a smart girl, passing all her classes in fifth grade with flying colors and excelling in her English and reading classes. She has two best friends named Bettina and Noah. Everyone picks on Noah because he likes unicorns and wears too much pink. Who cares how he dresses as long as he's a good person, right? That was written in one of her many black journals that are stored under her bed. Amen, sister. Not much is said about Bettina except that Avery is jealous of her cocoa colored skin and curly black hair.

Today is no different from the rest. I learn that it's Friday and the maid comes in and vacuums, dusts the window sills and changes the linens. Avery's laundry is hung and folded, and the maid leaves a bear made from a towel on Avery's bed. I smirk at that thinking about Avery's reaction. She's either going to hate it or embrace it. I try to stay out of the maid's way, but she is quick, and I'm wondering why I'm here if the maid is just going to be all over the place.

It isn't until I accidentally step on the cord to the vacuum and stop all forward progress, that the maid switches off the machine, and glances over her shoulder.

"I know you're here," she says. "You can show yourself."

I freeze at her words. No one told me I could show myself to certain people.

She turns and tugs on the cord, and I flail my hands and right myself before I topple over.

"Huh, didn't think they would send a newbie to befriend the King of Nightmares' daughter," She has one hand on her hip and the other extended to me. "I am Lisa."

"Uh…Sam, I am Sam or Rabbit," I can be articulate when I want to be. "How-…how do you know-…"

"I was hired by Imaginary Friends to try to figure out why Avery is having nightmares," Lisa says it like it should be evident to me.

"Oh…I see. Did you say, 'The King of Nightmares'?" I ask. "Wouldn't that have something to do with her nightmares?"

"Yes…and no," Lisa walks around me to unplug the vacuum from the wall as she talks.

"Well, that's not vague or anything," I cross my arms. I'm usually not this sassy, but for some reason, my filter is off.

"Avery's father and uncle created and work at a company that creates escape rooms," Lisa flicked a switch on the vacuum, and the cord was wound into the machine. "Some of the Escape rooms aren't child-friendly, but Avery's never been easily scared until about twelve months ago."

"Her father takes her to the Escape Rooms?" I frown.

"Yeah, she's always gotten excited about the Escape Rooms, she likes figuring out the puzzles and Avery kind of likes being scared. She gets it from her father," Lisa explains as she leans on the vacuum. "Anyway, like I said, about a year ago, Avery stopped wanting to go to the Escape Rooms with her father and uncle. She went once with her father, and she said she had fun, but she hasn't wanted to go since then. When her uncle comes over they usually have a game night – her aunt died a couple years ago, and her cousin, their son just turned eighteen. He doesn't come over as often – but Avery stopped participating in game night, saying she didn't feel good or faking that she had homework."

Alarms went off in my head when Lisa mentioned the Uncle, but I couldn't figure out why.

"Has anyone asked her what happened six or seven months ago?" I asked, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Yes, I've overheard her mother talking to her, but Avery shuts down whenever anyone mentions that evening," Lisa lets out a loud sigh as she eyes me up and down. "That little angel has a lot of promise, but not if she starts isolating herself. There must be something pretty special about you that you've been requested for Avery."

I furrow my brow at her. "Uh…okay? Has no one else been assigned here?"

"Oh, yes but they end up quitting, saying that Avery is too much of a handful, or she's too emotional, or something or another," Lisa shrugs.

"Well, I've only been here for a week, and she seems fine, I guess, but maybe I should ask to come with her when she leaves the room-…"

"No, child!" Lisa grabs my arm, and I blink at her hand, surprised she's able to grip my arm. "You must not leave this room through that door. It is forbidden for us souls to enter or leave the children's rooms by any other means than the closet."

"What happens? What's out there?"

Lisa gives me a hard look and nods like she's given clarification by something in my eyes; I am feeling more confident than I should. She lets go of my arm and walks over to the door and pauses with her hand on the knob. Lisa closes her eyes and whispers a prayer of some sort, and a small part of my brain laughs at the irony. When Lisa finishes, she whips open the door.

I was not prepared for the blackness swirling outside that door. Deep, gravely voices hiss at me from the mass and occasionally, a pair of red, glowing eyes stares at me. Something draws me to the blackness, but before I step over the threshold, Lisa grasps my arm and yanks me back into the room.

"Child, you have angered the Dark," Lisa says as she slams the door. "Who are you?"

"I-I'm just Sam," I say as I rub my arms. I'm not cold, but the fear from seeing that swirling madness has somehow made me shiver. "I'm nobody, I just…I was having fun, and then I drown in the lake behind my best friend's cabin."

Lisa narrows her eyes at me.

"Ask if you can spend the night in Avery's room," Lisa says after a beat. I am thrown off by her sudden change of subject. "Her uncle and cousin are supposed to stop by tonight for game night."

"Okay, how do I get a hold of Stephen to ask?"

"You don't. Just ask Avery tonight when she gets home. I'm pretty sure she will say yes," Lisa steps closer to me. "Promise me, and her, that you will not leave her, or us after tonight. Whatever has Avery scared, makes the older souls run away screaming."

I inhale sharply. "So, what makes you think that I'll be able to hold my ground?"

"There is something special about you, or else the King of Nightmares wouldn't have requested your presence specifically," Lisa places her hand on my shoulder and continues before I can interrupt. "Now, promise me, child, that you will fight for Avery and you will not run away."

I look back and forth into Lisa's dark eyes.

"I-I promise,"

"Good. Go through the rest of her journals; there's one in her sock drawer as well," Lisa gestures around the room. "Good luck, Sam."

And with that, Lisa snaps her fingers, and she is gone, along with her vacuum and cleaning supplies.

I take the next hour or so to look through the journals that I hadn't gotten a chance to read yet. Nothing really stood out, until I read the diary in her sock drawer. Avery mentions a secret crush on her cousin, whose name is Jon. She knows it's not right, but she can't help herself, he looks like one of the boys from the boy bands on her wall. I glance around and see no boy band posters on her wall. Frowning, I look back down at the journal and see that is the last entry; it was dated a year ago.

Holding my breath, I bury the journal in her sock drawer again and dive for the bed, pushing my hands under her pillows. Nothing, no diary. She must keep it with her-…

A voice in the hall cuts through my thoughts, and I stand and straighten her bed, placing the towel animal back on her pillow. I stand as innocently as I can next to the bed as Avery walks in.

"Oh!" She drops her messenger bag as she falls back against the door. "Sam you scared me-…wait, you're never here this late. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no! Nothing's wrong, I just…" I start tugging on the edge of my sweatshirt. "I was hoping to stay here for the night? It's very lonely and dull in my room."

Her body relaxes as if she was waiting for unwelcome news.

"Yes, please do," she says as she bends to pick up her messenger bag. She walks over to her bed and plops down. "It's going to be a long night."

"Oh, why?" I sit on the bed next to her and pick at the hem on my sleeve.

"Stop picking-…oh Christ, I sound like my mother," Avery smacks her forehead after smacking my hand. For eleven years old, this girl is mature, well, except for the imaginary friend part. "Sorry."

"No, it's alright," I say as I tuck my hand into my sleeve. "It's a bad habit, and I've replaced two sweatshirts just this week! I have a vague recollection of my own mother slapping my hands because of my picking."

Avery sits up and grabs the towel animal from her pillow.

"Oh Lisa, I love your animals," she cocks her head at it. "An elephant. She must be trying new animals."

Avery hugs the animal and places it back on her pillows.

"Okay, I'm gonna put on my pj's, and grab some games and make some tea," Avery stands, and I blink up at her.

"Tea? Huh, didn't peg you as a tea drinker,"

"Well, I don't have much, but it works. It's soothing for me," she walks over to her chest of drawers and opens the sock drawer, touches her journal, then grabs a pair of socks and underwear. She digs in another drawer and finds two pairs of pajama bottoms, a shirt, and a nightgown. Throwing one set to me, she keeps the nightgown and says before leaving the room: "I'm gonna take a shower really quick before-…well, I'll just be quick."

I tilt my head at her as she leaves, then look down at the pile of pajamas next to me. They look so soft, but I don't know what the rules are for wearing her clothes. Can I even dress myself? I'm usually in a clean sweatshirt and leggings after Stephen snaps his fingers.

I look at my hand and snap my fingers.

Next thing I know, I'm sitting on the floor with Avery, sipping tea and playing UNO.

Actual freaking tea.

We chat about nothing and everything – mostly her doing the chatting since I can't really remember anything before this life. I tell her my nickname, even though I don't recall why I have that nickname. But Avery doesn't seem to mind; she looks relaxed.

That is until a loud 'whoop' sounds in multiple voices from outside the room and we both jump. Avery's face falls.

"Crap," she swears under her breath and stands and closes the door all the way.

"What was that?" I ask, brushing my hair out of my face.

"It's my family," Avery explains. "My parents invited Dad's brother and his son over for game night. Normally my cousin doesn't join, but he's here tonight – on a Friday nonetheless. Don't eighteen-year-old boys have someplace other than with their Dad on a Friday playing board games with their extended family?"

"Um, generally, I guess?" I shrug.

Avery hums a response, and we continue our game.

After three games of UNO, one round of Clue, and four sets of Sorry, Avery's mother knocks on her door and peeks in. For one moment, her expression changed as she looked in my direction, and I thought she saw me. But when I looked around us, there were candy wrappers, pastry wrappers, and an empty bowl of popcorn.

"Avery, did you eat all of this?" Her mother gestured to the floor. I remained as still as I could.

"Yes, mother," Avery said in exasperation. "No one else is here to eat it, are they?"

Avery's mother opened her mouth and closed it again, and I could see the surprise and frustration cross her face.

"It's just that, it's a lot of junk food, sweetie," her mom paused and looked at her sideways. "You're not hiding someone in here, are you? Like one of your friends?"

Avery's mother said 'friends' with such disgust, I'm surprised I didn't see the actual word spit out of her mouth.

"No, Bettina and Noah are not here with me, so you can breathe easy, mother," Avery said. "Do you have a reason to be in here, or…"

I have the faintest recollection that this isn't how one should talk to their mother.

I also have the faintest hint that Avery's mother is about to combust. Her mouth turns down, and a vein threatens to pop on her forehead.

"I came to tell you that Jon will be spending the night since he has to leave for track tomorrow and it's easier for his friend to pick him up here. So, keep it down, with whatever it is you are doing." Her mother waves her hand in our general direction and then turns and leaves.

Avery rubs her forehead and groans. When she finally looks up at me, her eyes are wide, and she stands to look around her room.

"Rabbit? Sam? Sam, please tell me my mother didn't scare you off?"

"Avery I'm right here," I say, and she turns back in my direction.

"Oh my gosh! No one's been able to do that before!"

"Do…what?" I ask, my heart leaping into my throat.

"Disappear like that! I can usually see them all the time, but you disappear at random times," she reaches out and pokes at my knee with her finger. "You…you're supposed to be my imaginary friend…not real…"

I'm not sure what to do, especially since I've been having problems with disappearing and reappearing.

I decide to laugh it off.

"Oh, Avery, you're such a kidder," I say.

"But…I'm not kidding," she pokes me lightly on the shoulder.

I open and close my mouth, like a fish out of water.

"Um, well, I've been practicing appearing solid," I nervously play with the hem of the pajama top.

Avery scrutinizes me, and I wince under her hard stare.

"Well, at least I have someone to help me pick up this dirty room," she smiles.

I let out the breath I was holding and squat to help her pick up the wrappers.

"I like your posters, especially the unicorn tapestry,"

"Yeah, I really like unicorns," she says as she stuffs the wrappers into her tiny trash can. "I used to have some boy band posters, but I stopped liking their music. I need to take down those other posters – I don't like their music anymore either."

A sad look came over her face.

"Why don't you like their music anymore?" I ask as I wipe my hands on a paper towel.

"J-…Noah says they're ugly and their music sucks," Avery shrugs and shakes her head. Alarms go off in my head. Was she about to say Jon? "Anyway, I'm going to empty this and take the popcorn bowl to the kitchen. Do you want to see the rest of the house?"

Her sudden excitement takes me off guard, and I almost say yes, when I remember the swirling darkness.

"Thanks, but I've been sneaking around at nights during the week," I wink roguishly at her.

"Ok, I'll be right back," Avery opens the door. From my vantage point sitting on her bed, I see a boy, a handsome boy I'm assuming is cousin Jon, standing out in the hallway, talking with Avery's father. The boy is tall, and I can see the family resemblance to Avery's father, and to Avery herself. Jon's dark eyes track Avery's movements, then look in her room, right at me. I suck in a quick breath of air and sit still. His brow furrows, and he glances around the room. Avery's father grabs Jon's attention again as he peeks in the room and they laugh about ghosts and such.

I keep my eyes on the two men when Avery returns. She hugs her father, and he gives her a kiss on her cheek. Jon watches with a look in his eyes I can't decipher, and a shiver runs down my spine. Avery's father tries to get her to hug Jon, but she refuses, and Jon plays it off, but I see the disappointment and is that anger in his eyes that I see, as well?

Jon watches her like a hawk watches its prey as Avery enters her room and closes the door. She leans against the door for a moment trying to gain her composure back.

"It took everything I had not to punch him," Avery said in a quiet voice. "Jon is so creepy."

"That he is," I say.

"Let's go to sleep," She says as she walks toward the bed. I stand and help her pull back the covers. Avery turns her bedside lamp off, and the room is plunged into darkness. She gets in first, and I lie down next to her, waiting as my eyes adjust to the darkness. The streetlights shine through her window, bathing everything in soft amber light.

We chat some more, I tell her about my friends and I out on the boat, but not the part that I died; wouldn't want to freak the child out more than she is.

The next thing I know, I'm getting elbowed, and I roll off the bed. Avery hasn't noticed, and I'm invisible again. I hear the snick of her bedroom door being opened as chilly air rushes in from the hallway. I panic, even though I'm invisible, and roll myself under her bed. I watch as the door is closed, and large bare feet walk across the carpet and stop in the middle of the room. I take a chance and peek out from under the bed. Jon's legs are toned and tanned like I'd expect a track stars legs to be. His bed shorts hang low on his waist, and the rest of his body is just as toned and tanned as his legs. A tremor of fear and disgust rakes down my body when I see the look of predatory lust on his face as he watches Avery sleep.

Jon stands like that for a few seconds more, palming himself through his shorts; I fight hard not to throw up. When he steps to her bed, I gasp and throw my hand over my mouth. I tuck myself as far under the bed as I possibly can. Jon's face appears as he takes a cursory glance under the bed. I hear him swear under his breath and he straightens again.

He leans one knee on the bed slowly, but it's enough to wake Avery. Jon slaps a hand across her mouth before she can cry out. I reach out and grab his ankle, but my hand goes right through him.

"If you don't stop struggling, I will tell your mother you had someone in your bedroom tonight," his voice is a low raspy whisper. The bed stills, and I swear under my breath. I try to grab his ankle again, and he must have felt the air move as his calf twitches. I use both hands as I try again to grab his ankle. This time, I caught his attention. He swears, and both legs are on the floor as he swats at nothing.

"Turn over," I hear him say. I hear Avery cry out under Jon's hand as the bed bounces. His knee rests up on the bed again as I feel it shifting under his weight.

A sick feeling comes over me as I see his bed shorts pool around the one ankle. But more than that, I also feel my anger swirling in my gut, making me hot and my breaths come fast and hard. Unable to contain myself, I reach out and grab his ankle. My fingers dig into his Achilles tendon as he swears loudly. Jon's other foot comes down hard on my arm, and I cry out, but the pain only lasts for a second as Avery pushes him away.

"What the fu-…" Jon cries out as I crawl out from under the bed.

"Get out you, sick bastard," I yell. I threaten to kick Jon when Avery's door opens, and her father comes rushing in.

"Jon, what is…going on?" Avery's father gapes at Jon who is scrambling to pull up his shorts and Avery is on the bed, her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth. She has bruises shaped like fingertips on her jaw where Jon had dug his fingers. Her pajama pants are in a pool at the far side of the bed.

"You monster," Avery's father grabs Jon's arm and hauls him out into the hallway. I step aside as Avery's mother rushes in and attempts to hold Avery, but she turns away.

"I've told you not to wear that nightgown while Jon is here," is all her mother says before turning and walking out of Avery's room. But before she even starts walking, she's taken aback at Avery's father's astonished face. I'm also trying to throw my best bitch face at her.

"Are you saying this is Avery's fault?" His voice is high-pitched with disbelief.

"N-No of course not, I was just stating a fact that-…"

"Just go and make sure Jon has all his stuff packed. And pack your stuff while you're at it. I'm tired of being the only one defending Avery," Avery's father pushes past her mother and gathers Avery in his arms. My eyes start misting as I watch the girl cling to her father.

"Thank you, Rabbit," his voice was quiet, and I almost missed his comment.

When I look up, he's looking right at me. I look around to make sure Lisa or Stephen aren't standing nearby.

"I…you can see me?" I stutter.

"Yes, thank you for looking after your little sister," his eyes are red from crying.

The room is suddenly devoid of air as I try to breathe.

"I requested you from Imaginary Friends Inc. after you drowned, six months ago, because I knew how close you and Avery were," he says as he rubs Avery's back. "You had run away because of something that had happened at the Escape Rooms with my brother and Jon. I had suspected it was Jon that had attacked you, but I wasn't brave enough to talk to you about it. I-I am just as bad as your Mother, accusing Avery, but, I am so sorry – to both of you,"

I don't hear the rest of his words. My memories come rushing back to me.

I am holding Avery's hand, laughing and running down a dark hallway because we had just solved the latest Escape room puzzle. We reached the top of the stairs just as Jon was walking up, a smirk on his face. He was the same age as me, and I had a secret crush on him. He was handsome and toned and so friendly to everyone.

Jon smiled his one-hundred-watt smile at us.

"Avery, you should go tell your father and Uncle that you two solved the room," Jon said. "I have something to show Rabbit."

I remember my heart racing when he used my nickname.

"Okay!" Avery bounced on the balls of her feet before running down the stairs.

"C'mon, Samantha," Jon said as he grabbed my arm. It was a little aggressive, but I thought nothing of it at the time. "In here is another new Escape Room."

He shoved me into the barely lit room. I tripped over my feet, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the setting sun streaming through the thin curtains. The distinctive sound of the door closing and his heavy footfalls on the wood floors alerted me to his presence behind me.

"You should turn on the-…" A sturdy hand clamps down over my mouth, and my arms are restrained behind my back. Jon is dragging me to a bed where he throws me down on my stomach.

The next few memories are just feelings and a blur of colors. I remember a loud gasp and mine and Jon's name being called.

"Damn kid," Jon swears as he pushes off me, pulls up his pants, and chases after Avery.

I look down at myself; I shudder at my torn underwear. I quickly tear off the underpants and stuff them up the sleeve of my sweatshirt. I pull up my leggings and hear my father and uncle's voices as they ascend the stairs. I try to pull myself together.

I am back in Avery's room, sitting on her bed in present time. It's been three days since the incident, and I learned that Jon was jailed on attempted child molestation charges. Our parents are divorcing, and our father will be long in forgiving his brother and his nephew for putting Avery and I through what they did.

My father and I agreed that it was not a good idea that I tell Avery who I am. I will be back to visit Avery when she needs me. But I've been assigned to another child in need of a friend. Stephen assures me that this one will not be as tragic, and I am glad for that.


End file.
